EP1143481A1 - Dispositif pour former un plasma de haute densité - Google Patents

Dispositif pour former un plasma de haute densité Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1143481A1
EP1143481A1 EP00302875A EP00302875A EP1143481A1 EP 1143481 A1 EP1143481 A1 EP 1143481A1 EP 00302875 A EP00302875 A EP 00302875A EP 00302875 A EP00302875 A EP 00302875A EP 1143481 A1 EP1143481 A1 EP 1143481A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
high density
forming device
density plasma
chamber
plasma forming
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP00302875A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1143481B1 (fr
Inventor
Michael John Thwaites
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Plasma Quest Ltd
Original Assignee
Plasma Quest Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to US09/542,880 priority Critical patent/US6463873B1/en
Application filed by Plasma Quest Ltd filed Critical Plasma Quest Ltd
Priority to EP00302875A priority patent/EP1143481B1/fr
Priority to ES00302875T priority patent/ES2245632T3/es
Priority to DE60021167T priority patent/DE60021167T2/de
Priority to AT00302875T priority patent/ATE299292T1/de
Publication of EP1143481A1 publication Critical patent/EP1143481A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1143481B1 publication Critical patent/EP1143481B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32009—Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources
    • H01J37/32082—Radio frequency generated discharge
    • H01J37/321—Radio frequency generated discharge the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/32431—Constructional details of the reactor
    • H01J37/3266—Magnetic control means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00—Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/32—Gas-filled discharge tubes
    • H01J37/34—Gas-filled discharge tubes operating with cathodic sputtering

Definitions

  • This invention relates to methods and apparatus for the production of high density plasmas.
  • a variety of different processes are operated in a plasma environment including thin film coating, for example sputtering, evaporation, chemical vapour disposition, cleaning and etching processes.
  • Sputtering processes are widely used for the deposition of thin coatings or films of materials on to substrates. Such processes take place in an evacuated chamber containing a small quantity of an ionisable gas, for example argon. Electrons emitted from a source held within the chamber ionise the gas to form a plasma; a (cathode) target comprising the material to be sputtered is bombarded by the ions causing atoms of the target material to be dislodges and subsequently deposited on to the substrate being coated.
  • an ionisable gas for example argon.
  • the rate of deposition in sputtering process may be increased by the use of magnetic means, for example an array of permanent magnets positioned in a predetermined manner (commonly as a closed loop) associated with the cathode target to create in use a plasma which is localised and concentrated along a sputtering zone of the target and thereby defined the area or region from which sputtering, or erosion of the target occurs.
  • magnetic means for example an array of permanent magnets positioned in a predetermined manner (commonly as a closed loop) associated with the cathode target to create in use a plasma which is localised and concentrated along a sputtering zone of the target and thereby defined the area or region from which sputtering, or erosion of the target occurs.
  • vapour deposition processes especially plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD)
  • PECVD plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition
  • a chemical gad contained within a vacuum chamber is dissociated and activated by the plasma at a rate generally proportional to the density of the plasma.
  • energetic ions and/or chemically active ions and/or chemically active ions produced by a plasma present in a vacuum chamber are employed to remove material from a substrate, for example in the production of semi conductor integrated circuits.
  • a more recent proposal for the production of high density plasmas is the use of high density plasma waves. These can be produced in a chamber at high vacuum, for example 10 -2 to 10 -4 mbar, by interaction between a uniform magnetic field and an electric field profile of an external antenna operating at a radio frequency (RF). Wave energy from the antenna emissions is transferred to the electrons produced in a plasma discharge, for example argon, present in the chamber by the well known mechanism known as Landau damping; with these waves, energy exchange is thought to occur in a much more efficient manner than with other types of discharge.
  • This effect can generally be regarded as a collisionless damping of waves in a plasma due to particles in the plasma which possesses a velocity almost equal to the phase velocity of the wave.
  • Such particles tend to travel with the wave without "seeing" a rapidly fluctuating electric field and can therefore exchange energy with the wave.
  • the 13.56 MHz frequency discharge is the most widely used to produce high density plasma waves, although related frequencies of 6.78 MHz and 27.12 MHz could also be employed.
  • High density plasma wave induced plasma generation can usefully be performed in a chamber in which, or about which, field coils are present to effect a uniform magnetic field (commonly cylindrical) in a pre-determined area of the chamber.
  • Three such field coils in a linear array spaced along the length of the relevant past of the chamber are generally sufficient.
  • the RF antenna At one end of the array is positioned the RF antenna to cause, in use of the process, the intense plasma wave produced by interaction between the magnetic field and the RF power supply, which in turn accelerates plasma electrons by the Landau damping mechanism.
  • the invention is concerned with the provision of high density plasma systems embodying an antenna of simpler, easier to use design and having further benefits as described below.
  • a high density plasma forming device having a housing comprising an ionisable gas, a process chamber, a target mounted within the process chamber, at least one source chamber completely open at one end to the process chamber, a radio frequency antenna for the formation of a plasma and a magnetic means by which the plasma may be directed and focused onto the target, characterised in that the antenna is a helical coil associated with the source chamber such that plasma formed within the source chamber is directed into the process chamber and focused onto the target mounted therein.
  • the helically wound coil antenna in the invention generally comprises an electrically conducting strip or wire with one end connected to the RF live supply and the other to earth (ground) and hence returns to an RF matching unit. As such, the RF power passes through each turn of the helically wound coil in turn between the two ends.
  • the RF supply should generally be within the range of 1 to 200 MHz, however, the preferred frequencies would be within the range 1 to 30 MHz with frequencies of 6.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz and 27.12 MHz the most preferred. In general the RF frequency is surprisingly not crucial as long as the RF source is matched with the antenna in a manner know per se.
  • the process of the invention should preferably be performed in a chamber made of an insulating material for example a generally cylindrical chamber, characterised in that quartz and glass are preferred materials.
  • the helically wound coil antenna can conveniently be wound around the outside of the relevant part of the chamber. This is especially applicable in the case of a metallic, for example brass, strip antenna around an insulating, for example quartz, chamber.
  • the antenna is preferably cooled, for example water cooled.
  • the helically wound coil antenna preferably comprises at least three turns and advantageously comprises from three to eight turns, for example three, four or five.
  • the RF power applied to the helically wound coil antenna must be matched in a manner known per se to ensure the formation of a high density plasma wave in to the magnetic field present in the chamber.
  • the antenna must be adapted to generate an RF electric field, interaction between this electric fields and the magnetic field generates a modified electric field which in turn produces a plasma wave which couples energy to plasma electrons through a Landau damping mechanism which in turn causes high ionisation of the plasma gas and hence a high intensity plasma.
  • the magnet means can comprise a single magnet, for example an annular solenoid placed coaxially about the chamber and positioned remote from the antenna to produce, in use, a magnetic field relative to the antenna axis between the magnet and the antenna.
  • the magnetic means comprises more than one magnet.
  • the source magnet is preferably an annular solenoid positioned co-axially about the helically wound coil antenna with a small clearance between the external diameter of the antenna and the internal diameter of the solenoid. In some cases, however, the source chamber magnet is slightly removed to the side of the antenna away from the chamber magnet, or even to the opposite side of the process chamber whilst remaining co-axial therewith.
  • the process chamber magnet also comprises an annular solenoid positioned co-axially with the antenna axis but having a larger diameter than the source magnet. In order to allow the magnetic lines of flux to bridge the process chamber.
  • the course magnet can be such that it generates a magnetic field of the order of 5 x 10 -3 Tesla parallel to the axis of the source chamber and/or antenna and the process chamber magnet can generate a stronger magnetic field of the order of 5 x 10 -2 Tesla again parallel to the central axis of the source chamber and/or antenna with the linked magnetic field being in accordance with the invention.
  • the current flowing through the solenoid(s) determines the magnetic field strength, the magnetic field gradient across the chamber (if any) and the direction of the overall field. This is critical to the overall operation of the process and the control of its operating parameters.
  • the source and each chamber magnet must generate respective magnetic fields in the same direction; it should be noted, however, that the process works irrespective of the selected same direction.
  • An advantage of the invention is the use of a further magnet on one side of the chamber between the source magnet (or the antenna if no source magnet is employed) and the chamber magnet surprisingly allows the plasma beam to be attracted or "steered” in the process chamber towards or away from the further magnet depending on the polarity of the magnet.
  • the use of a solenoid is advantageous in that switching the solenoid current in one direction will deflect the plasma towards the solenoid and switching the current in the other direction would repel the plasma away from the solenoid.
  • the apparatus includes a vacuum process chamber having a source chamber in which the antenna is deployed, with magnet means present in the vicinity of the source chamber and the process chamber to propagate the magnetic field and thereby to generate the high density plasma out of the source chamber and in to the process chamber.
  • a target comprising material to be deposited and a substrate on to which the target material is to deposited can be situated in the process chamber.
  • relatively low or zero amounts of deposition of target material will generally occur on the interior surfaces of the source chamber where the antenna is positioned.
  • RF leakage from the RF antenna via chamber surface deposits should be avoided.
  • Figure 1 shows the external appearance of an embodiment of the invention 1 having a process chamber 3 a source chamber 2 with an associated coil 10.
  • FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of apparatus of the invention. There is shown therein a substantially cylindrical vacuum chamber 1 having a source chamber 2 of a first cross section, a process chamber 3 of larger cross section and a termination end 4 of tapering cross section.
  • the source chamber has an inlet 5 in to which ionisable process gas can be introduced.
  • the process chamber 3 has an outlet 6 attached to vacuum pumps at 7 for evacuating the vacuum chamber 1 and, in use of the apparatus, causing a flow of process gas therethough.
  • the termination end 4 is water cooled by a helically arranged water pipe 8; the end of the termination end 4 contains a glass view port 9 for observing the plasma 'P' generated in the chamber.
  • a helically wound coil annular antenna 10 having four turns and being in the form of a brass strip whose ends are electrically insulated from each other with one end connected to an RF live supply 11 and the other end connected to earth.
  • the four turns were each spaced apart for adjacent turns by about one or two centimetres.
  • the overall length of the antenna was of the order of six to eight centimetres.
  • the RF supply was at a frequency of 13.56MHz.
  • a source magnet 12 in the form of an annular solenoid having an internal diameter slightly greater than the external diameter of the antenna and electrically isolated therefrom. Activation of the solenoid magnet 12 is by connection to a power source (not shown).
  • a chamber magnet 13 in the form of another annular solenoid having a larger diameter than the source magnet 12.
  • the exemplified apparatus of Figure 2 has a source chamber 2 made of quartz and an internal diameter of one-hundred-and-fifty millimetres, a wider process chamber 3 and a termination end 4 of initial diameter the same as that of the source chamber 2 but tapering in a direction away from process chamber 3.
  • the source and chamber solenoids 12 , 13 respectively are both turned on with the windings of both solenoids generating magnetic fields parallel, to the axis of the process chamber in the same direction and the chamber magnet 13 generating the larger individual magnetic field effect (5 x 10-2 Tesla) than that of the source magnet (5 x 10-3 Tesla) but with the fluxes of the respective magnetic fields being linked to produce a non-axial magnetic field overall relative to the main (longitudinal) axis of the helically wound coil antenna 10.
  • Typical flux lines of such a non-axial magnetic field are shown in Figure 3 showing the same type of apparatus to that of Figure 2. It should be noted, however, that the use of a uniform magnet field is not essential as generally there will be some non-uniformity in respect of the magnetic field.
  • the magnetic field so formed means that in use there is a magnetic gradient increasing in a direction away from the antenna 10 and the generated RF electric field must interact with lines of magnet flux in the vacuum chamber.
  • cooling water was passed through the helically arrayed pipe 8 and argon (ionisable) gas was present in the evacuated vacuum chamber 1 the chamber pressure should preferably range between 7 x 10 -5 mbar and 2 x 10 -2 mbar.
  • FIG 4 shows the use of a steering magnet 40 as an addition to the apparatus shown in Figure 2.
  • This steering magnet is in the form of an annular solenoid positioned on one side of the process chamber 3 (the top as shown).
  • the polarity of the solenoid magnet determines whether the plasma beam P is deflected or steered towards the steering magnet 40 (as shown) or alternatively away from the magnet.
  • the ability to steer the plasma beam may be of considerable benefit in certain coating methods in which the control of the direction of the plasma in relation to the substrate is important, for example a substrate positioned in the upper or lower part of the process chamber 3.
  • Figure 5 shows the use of a source chamber having a central longitudinal axis parallel with, but not co-linear with the plane of the target.
  • the target being positioned such that plasma entering the process chamber from the source chamber needs to be substantially deflected towards the target.
  • the apparatus of Figure 5 includes a cylindrical vacuum chamber 1 having a process chamber 51 and a source chamber 52 in which a RF helically wound coil antenna 53 is deployed. Also present in the chamber 1 is a target 54 having a surface of material to the sputtered and a substrate 55 in to which the target material is to be deposited.
  • Electromagnetic means 56 at the top (as shown) of the process chamber 51 opposite the source chamber 52, or to the right of the antenna and further electromagnetic means 57 positioned about the process chamber 51 provide, in use of the apparatus, magnetic means to generate a magnetic field which, by interaction with the electric field profile of the RF antenna 53 in use of the apparatus, produces a high density plasma wave.
  • introduction of gas for example again, in to the chamber in the direction of the arrow G will be chamber 1 evacuated by means of vacuum pumps (not shown) acting in the direction of the arrow V again allows a very high intensity plasma to the generated by means of the high density plasma wave propagated from the helically wound coil antenna 53 and to be present by virtue of the electromagnetic 56, 57 in the general area with dotted lines indicated by the reference letter P between the target 54 and a substrate 55 .
  • the source chamber 52 it is possible for the source chamber 52 to have a different orientation to that shown in Figure 5 by making the angle ⁇ more than the ninety degrees shown in Figure 5 for example one hundred and thirty-five degrees. This would afford the greater possibility of avoiding RF leakage from the antenna 53 in that even less coating should be effected on the wall of the source chamber 52.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Plasma Technology (AREA)
  • Electron Sources, Ion Sources (AREA)
  • Drying Of Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Chemical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
EP00302875A 2000-04-04 2000-04-05 Dispositif pour former un plasma de haute densité Expired - Lifetime EP1143481B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09/542,880 US6463873B1 (en) 2000-04-04 2000-04-04 High density plasmas
EP00302875A EP1143481B1 (fr) 2000-04-04 2000-04-05 Dispositif pour former un plasma de haute densité
ES00302875T ES2245632T3 (es) 2000-04-04 2000-04-05 Dispositivo formador de plasma de alta densidad.
DE60021167T DE60021167T2 (de) 2000-04-04 2000-04-05 Vorrichtung zur Erzeugung von Plasma mit hoher Dichte
AT00302875T ATE299292T1 (de) 2000-04-04 2000-04-05 Vorrichtung zur erzeugung von plasma mit hoher dichte

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09/542,880 US6463873B1 (en) 2000-04-04 2000-04-04 High density plasmas
EP00302875A EP1143481B1 (fr) 2000-04-04 2000-04-05 Dispositif pour former un plasma de haute densité

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1143481A1 true EP1143481A1 (fr) 2001-10-10
EP1143481B1 EP1143481B1 (fr) 2005-07-06

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Family Applications (1)

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EP00302875A Expired - Lifetime EP1143481B1 (fr) 2000-04-04 2000-04-05 Dispositif pour former un plasma de haute densité

Country Status (5)

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US (1) US6463873B1 (fr)
EP (1) EP1143481B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE299292T1 (fr)
DE (1) DE60021167T2 (fr)
ES (1) ES2245632T3 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2009066088A1 (fr) * 2007-11-22 2009-05-28 Charles Frederick James Barnes Tête d'écriture magnétique
CN112602165A (zh) * 2018-08-23 2021-04-02 戴森技术有限公司 高密度等离子体处理设备
GB2593863A (en) * 2020-02-28 2021-10-13 Plasma Quest Ltd High Density vacuum plasma source

Families Citing this family (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7527713B2 (en) * 2004-05-26 2009-05-05 Applied Materials, Inc. Variable quadruple electromagnet array in plasma processing
US7686926B2 (en) * 2004-05-26 2010-03-30 Applied Materials, Inc. Multi-step process for forming a metal barrier in a sputter reactor
CN1322167C (zh) * 2004-11-05 2007-06-20 哈尔滨工业大学 复合等离子体表面处理装置
US8396704B2 (en) * 2007-10-24 2013-03-12 Red Shift Company, Llc Producing time uniform feature vectors
US20090238985A1 (en) * 2008-03-24 2009-09-24 Chau Hugh D Systems and methods for deposition
US8703001B1 (en) 2008-10-02 2014-04-22 Sarpangala Hari Harakeshava Hegde Grid assemblies for use in ion beam etching systems and methods of utilizing the grid assemblies
US20100096254A1 (en) * 2008-10-22 2010-04-22 Hari Hegde Deposition systems and methods
WO2011119611A2 (fr) * 2010-03-22 2011-09-29 Applied Materials, Inc. Déposition de diélectrique à l'aide d'une source de plasma distante
GB201006567D0 (en) 2010-04-20 2010-06-02 Plasma Quest Ltd High density plasma source
CN114205985A (zh) * 2021-11-29 2022-03-18 苏州大学 一种小束径螺旋波等离子体产生装置及产生方法

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DE19936199A1 (de) * 1998-09-28 2000-03-30 Alcatel Sa Magnetronreaktor zum Bereitstellen einer hochdichten, induktiv gekoppelten Plasmaquelle zum Sputtern von Metallfilmen und Dielektrischen Filmen

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EP0489407A2 (fr) * 1990-12-03 1992-06-10 Applied Materials, Inc. Réacteur à plasma utilisant une source résonante alimentée en UHF/VHF par une antenne et procédé
WO1999057746A1 (fr) * 1998-05-06 1999-11-11 Tokyo Electron Arizona, Inc. Procede et appareil de metallisation par depot sous vide de vapeur ionisee
DE19936199A1 (de) * 1998-09-28 2000-03-30 Alcatel Sa Magnetronreaktor zum Bereitstellen einer hochdichten, induktiv gekoppelten Plasmaquelle zum Sputtern von Metallfilmen und Dielektrischen Filmen

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2009066088A1 (fr) * 2007-11-22 2009-05-28 Charles Frederick James Barnes Tête d'écriture magnétique
CN112602165A (zh) * 2018-08-23 2021-04-02 戴森技术有限公司 高密度等离子体处理设备
GB2593863A (en) * 2020-02-28 2021-10-13 Plasma Quest Ltd High Density vacuum plasma source
GB2593863B (en) * 2020-02-28 2022-08-03 Plasma Quest Ltd High Density Vacuum Plasma Source

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE60021167D1 (de) 2005-08-11
ATE299292T1 (de) 2005-07-15
US6463873B1 (en) 2002-10-15
DE60021167T2 (de) 2006-05-18
EP1143481B1 (fr) 2005-07-06
ES2245632T3 (es) 2006-01-16

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